Tag Archives: Ray Parker

The Four Tops: Meeting of the Minds

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In April 1974, “ABC / Dunhill Records” label released “Meeting of the Minds”, the 21st Four Tops (The) album. It was recorded in 1973 – 1974, at “ABC Recording Studios, Inc. Studio A”, and was produced by Steve Barri, Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter.

Personnel:

  • Abdul “Duke” Fakir – vocal
  • Levi Stubbs – vocal
  • Renaldo “Obie” Benson – vocal
  • Lawrence Payton – vocal
  • Sylvia Smith – vocal
  • Ben Benaym Dean Parks, Ray Parker, Larry Carlton – guitar
  • Dennis Lambert – keyboards, arrangements
  • Michael Omartian – keyboards, arrangements
  • Scott Edwards, Wilton Felder – bass
  • Paul Humphrey, Ed Greene – drums
  • Brian Potter, Steve Barri, Gary Coleman, King Errisson – percussion
  • Don Hockett – arrangements
  • Gil Askey – arrangements
  • Jimmie Haskell – arrangements
  • McKinley Jackson – arrangements
  • Sid Sharp – concertmaster
  • Barney Perkins, Howard Gale, Phil Kaye – engineer
  • Vic Zaslav – mastering
  • Peter Palombi – illustration
  • Ron Slenzak – photography

Track listing:

  1. One Chain Don’t Make No Prison – Dennis Lambert, Brian Potter
  2. Midnight Flower – McKinley Jackson, Reginald Dozier
  3. The Well Is Dry – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  4. Love Ain’t Easy to Come By – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  5. No Sad Songs – Glenn Leonard, Len Perry, Rachel Foster
  6. Right on Brother – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert
  7. Tell Me You Love Me – Al Cleveland, Lawrence Payton
  8. All My Love – Renaldo Benson, Val Benson
  9. I Found the Spirit – Renaldo Benson, Val Benson
  10. Meeting of the Minds – Brian Potter, Dennis Lambert

Freddie Hubbard: Liquid Love

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In July 1975, “Columbia” label released “Liquid Love”, the 32nd Freddie Hubbard album. It was recorded March – April 1975, at “Wally Heider Studios” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Freddie Hubbard.

Personnel:

  • Freddie Hubbard – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • George Cables – keyboards
  • Ian Underwood – Moog synthesizer
  • Ray Parker, Jr. – guitar
  • Johnny “Guitar” Watson – guitar 
  • Henry Franklin – bass
  • Chuck Rainey – Fender bass
  • Carl Burnett – drums
  • Spider Webb – drums
  • Myuto Correa – percussion
  • Buck Clark – congas, cowbell
  • Al Hall, Jr. – trombone
  • Carl Randall, Jr. – tenor saxophone, flute
  • Fundi – sound consultant

Track listing:

All tracks by Freddie Hubbard, except where noted.

  1. Midnight at the Oasis – David Nichtern
  2. Put it in the Pocket
  3. Lost Dreams – George Cables
  4. Liquid Love
  5. Yesterday’s Thoughts – Benny Golson
  6. Kuntu

Bob Scaggs: Down Two Then Left

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In November 1977, “Columbia” label released “Down Two Then Left”, the eighth Boz Scaggs album. It was recorded in 1977, at “Hollywood Sound Recorders” in Hollywood, and was produced by Joseph Wissert.

Personnel:

  • Boz Scaggs – lead and backing vocals, guitar
  • Ray Parker, Jr.– guitar
  • Steve Lukather– guitar
  • Jay Graydon– guitar
  • Jai Winding – acoustic piano
  • Michael Omartian– keyboards, accordion, marimba, horn arrangements, string arrangements, conductor
  • David Hungate, Scott Edwards – bass
  • Jeff Porcaro– drums, timbales
  • Bobbye Hall– bongos, congas
  • Alan Estes – congas
  • Don Menza, Ernie Watts– saxophone
  • Fred Selden – saxophone, flute
  • Steve Madaio – trumpet
  • Chuck Findley– trumpet, flugelhorn
  • Dana Hughes – trombone
  • Barbara Korn, David Duke – French horn
  • Victor Feldman– claves, vibraphone
  • Sidney Sharp – concertmaster
  • Carolyn Willis, Jim Gilstrap, John Lehman, Zedric Turnbough, Venetta Fields, Roy Galloway, Phyllis Saint James, Terry Evans, Bobby King, Eldridge King, Julia Tillman Waters, Myrna Matthews, Stan Farber, Jim Haas– backing vocals
  • Tom Perry – engineer
  • Mike Reese – mastering
  • Nancy Donald – design
  • Guy Bourdin – photography

Track listing:

All tracks by Boz Scaggs, except where noted.

  1. Still Falling for You
  2. Hard Times
  3. A Clue
  4. Whatcha Gonna Tell Your Man – Boz Scaggs, Jai Winding
  5. We’re Waiting- Michael Omartian, Boz Scaggs
  6. Hollywood – Michael Omartian, Boz Scaggs
  7. Then She Walked Away – Michael Omartian, Boz Scaggs
  8. Gimme the Goods – Michael Omartian, Boz Scaggs
  9. 1993 – Michael Omartian, Boz Scaggs
  10. Tomorrow Never Came/Tomorrow Never Came (reprise)

Herbie Hancock: Secrets

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In August 1976, “Columbia” label released “Secrets”, the 16th Herbie Hancock studio album. It was recorded in 1976, in San Francisco, and was produced by David Rubinson and Herbie Hancock.

Personnel:

  • Herbie Hancock– acoustic piano, Rhodes electric piano, electric grand piano, ARP Odyssey, ARP String Ensemble,  Hohner D6 Clavinet,  Micromoog, Oberheim 4 Voice, Echoplex
  • Wah Wah Watson – vocals, guitar, Maestro universal synthesizer system,  sample and hold unit, voice bag, bass
  • Bennie Maupin– soprano sax, tenor sax, saxello, lyricon, bass clarinet
  • Ray Parker Jr.– guitar, backing vocals
  • Paul Jackson– bass
  • James Gadson, James Levi– drums
  • Kenneth Nash– percussion

Track listing:

  1. Doin’ It – Melvin Ragin, Ray Parker, Jr.
  2. People Music – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin, Paul Jackson
  3. Cantelope Island – Herbie Hancock
  4. Spider – Melvin Ragin, Herbie Hancock, Paul Jackson
  5. Gentle Thoughts – Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin
  6. Swamp Rat – Paul Jackson, Herbie Hancock, Melvin Ragin
  7. Sansho Shima – Bennie Maupin

Joe Cocker: I Can Stand A Little Rain

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In August 1974, “A&M” label released “I Can Stand a Little Rain”, the fourth Joe Cocker studio album. It was recorded 1973 – 1974, at “The Village Recorder” in Los Angeles, and was produced by Jim Price.

Personnel:

  • Joe Cocker – lead vocals
  • Henry McCullough, Cornell Dupree, Jay Graydon, Ralph Hammer, Ray Palmer, Ray Parker, Jr.– guitar
  • Chuck Rainey, Clydie King, Dave McDaniel, Chris Stewart – bass
  • Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Ollie E. Brown, Jeff Porcaro, Denny Seiwell, Jimmy Karstein – drums
  • Randy Newman, Nicky Hopkins, Greg Mathieson, Jimmy Webb, Jim Price, David Paich, Richard Tee, Peggy Sandvig – keyboards
  • Jim Horn, Trevor Lawrence – saxophone
  • Stuart Blumberg, Steve Madaio – trumpet
  • Mayo Tiana, Jim Price– trombone
  • Merry Clayton, Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews, Daniel Moore- backing vocals
  • Jim Price, Jimmy Webb– arrangements
  • Rob Fraboniand Nat Jeffrey, Joe Tuzen, Mario Aglietti, Rick Heenan, J.J. Jansen, Carlton Lee, Ken Klinger, Zak Zenor – recording, engineer, mixing
  • Kent Duncan – mastering
  • Steve Vaughan – photography

Track listing:

  1. Put Out the Light – Daniel Moore
  2. I Can Stand a Little Rain – Jim Price
  3. I Get Mad – Joe Cocker, Jim Price
  4. Sing Me a Song – Henry McCullough
  5. The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress – Jimmy Webb
  6. Don’t Forget Me – Harry Nilsson
  7. You Are So Beautiful – Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher
  8. It’s a Sin (When You Love Somebody) – Jimmy Webb
  9. Performance – Allen Toussaint
  10. Guilty – Randy Newman

Rufus: Rags To Rufus

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In May 1974, “ABC Records” label released “Rags To Rufus”, the second Rufus studio album. It was recorded 1973-1974, at “Quantum Studios” in Torrance, California, and was produced by Chaka Khan, Dennis Beifield, André Fischer, Kevin Murphy, Al Ciner, Ron Stockert and Bob Monaco. The album was certified Platinum in the US by the “RIIA”.

Personnel:

  • Chaka Khan– lead and backing vocals
  • Al Ciner – acoustic and electric guitars, backing vocals
  • Tony Maiden – vocals, guitar, talk box
  • Nate Morgan – keyboards
  • Kevin Murphy– organ, clavinet, backing vocals
  • Ron Stockert – lead and backing vocals, keyboards
  • Dennis Belfield – bass, backing vocals
  • André Fischer – drums, percussion, backing vocals
  • Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner – string and horn arrangements
  • Clare Fischer– orchestration
  • Don Sciarrotta – chief recording, re-mix engineer
  • Tony Sciarrotta – engineer assistant
  • Vic Zaslow – mastering

Track listing:

  1. You Got the Love – Chaka Khan, Ray Parker, Jr.
  2. I Got the Right Street (But the Wrong Direction) – Ron Stockert
  3. Walkin’ in the Sun – Jeff Barry
  4. Rags to Rufus – Kevin Murphy, André Fischer, Chaka Khan, Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner
  5. Swing Down Chariot – Kevin Murphy, André Fischer, Chaka Khan, Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner
  6. Sideways – Kevin Murphy, André Fischer, Chaka Khan, Ron Stockert, Dennis Belfield, Al Ciner
  7. Ain’t Nothin’ But a Maybe – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
  8. Tell Me Something Good – Stevie Wonder
  9. Look Through My Eyes – Dennis Belfield
  10. “In Love We Grow – Dennis Belfield
  11. Smokin’ Room – Dennis Belfield

Boz Scaggs: Middle Man

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In April 1980, “Columbia” label released “Middle Man”, the ninth Boz Scaggs album. It was recorded in 1979, and was produced by Bill Schnee.

Personnel:

  • Boz Scaggs – vocals, guitars
  • Carlos Santana- guitar
  • Steve Lukather- guitars
  • Ray Parker, Jr.- guitars
  • David Foster- synthesizer, keyboards, string arrangements
  • Don Grolnick- piano, keyboards
  • David Paich- organ, synthesizer, keyboards
  • James Newton Howard- keyboards, clavinet
  • Larry Fast, Michael Boddicker, Steve Porcaro- synthesizer programming
  • David Hungate- bass
  • John Pierce – bass
  • Jeff Porcaro- drums
  • Joe Vitale- drums
  • Rick Marotta- drums
  • Lenny Castro- percussion
  • Adrian Tapia – saxophone
  • Bill Thedford – backing vocals
  • Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals
  • Oren Waters- backing vocals
  • Paulette Brown – backing vocals
  • Rosemary Butler- backing vocals
  • Chuck “Fingers” Irwin – backing vocals
  • David Lasley- backing vocals
  • Bill Champlin- backing vocals
  • Charlotte Crossley – backing vocals
  • Venetta Fields- backing vocals
  • Sharon Redd- backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by David Foster and Boz Scaggs, except where noted.

  1. Jojo – David Foster, David Lasley, Boz Scaggs
  2. Breakdown Dead Ahead
  3. Simone
  4. You Can Have Me Anytime
  5. Middle Man
  6. Do Like You Do in New York – Boz Scaggs
  7. Angel You
  8. Isn’t It Time – Boz Scaggs
  9. You Got Some Imagination – Steve Lukather, Scaggs, Bill Schnee